Ben, King of the River

Gifaldi, David. Ben, King of the River. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman and Company, 2001.

Chad, the older brother of a developmentally disabled boy, narrates the story of Ben, King of the River, by describing his families first camping trip. Throughout the narration Chad informs the reader of his concern that his 5 year-old brother, Ben, will ruin the camping trip he has been looking forward to. His concern comes from the fact that Ben still wears diapers, has allergies, and does not like new things. This book portrays how a sibling of a child with a developmental disability might feel on a daily basis. These feelings are portrayed through the text and visually in the pictures.

The story of Ben, King of the River is followed by a note from a 13 year-old boy named Josh Keys. Josh is David Gifaldi's nephew and has a brother who had a developmental disability. This note gives readers an understanding of what it is like to live with a sibling who has a disability. Also, since the author of the book is this young boy's uncle, it is known that David Gifaldi has personal knowledge and can talk to someone who has personal experience about the topic portrayed in Ben, King of the River. Therefore, David Gifaldi's knowledge makes him an author who is an insider on the topic of developmental disabilities and how siblings of children with developmental disabilities are affected.